Shakespeare's Champion
:
Lily Bard

Publisher's Summary

When Lily stumbles upon the well-built corpse of a local body builder - his neck broken by a barbell - the town's underlying racial tension begins to boil over. The white victim was somehow connected to two unsolved murders of black residents of Shakespeare - and a dogged policeman is determined to stop the killing. But it is Lily herself who may have to decide whether to stay and fight for justice, or run away one more time.

What the Critics Say

"Lily Bard is a complex woman who embodies many of the contradictions of the modern South - its dark side as well as its charm - and this suspenseful, deftly written novel will send new fans scrambling to read its predecessor." (Amazon.com review)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful

Good/Bad--depending on your taste in crime reading

In general, I have liked the two books about Lily Bard, a woman who is a survivor of heinous crimes in her past, who has moved to the little town of Shakespeare to start her life over. Some of the same characters are here--the chief of police, the people from her gym, her lover. I rather enjoyed the first one. This, not so much--but it's not exactly because of the book (I don't think). It's because I personally prefer a series that has more cerebral interest than fast-paced action (here, often resulting in multiple injuries). I suspect many would enjoy this story more than I did.

I gave this book 4 stars instead of the 3 that would more accurately account for how I viewed it, to account for my own taste here. But another part of my frustration with it is that Lily keeps putting herself into such avoidable situations. I know that's what makes the story move, but then I just sit with disbelief that she, for example, could be seriously beaten up one day and show up to work as a cleaning woman the next! Most human bodies could not manage such a feat!

I really like Lily Bard, the character. She has a painful history and is showing courage in her attempts to restart her life. This particular book deals with people who are unable to accept that their southern town is integrated, and are secretly promoting pre-civil rights attitudes, and view the local African Americans as their enemy. It is sad to be reminded that such things do still happen, and I believe the author was trying to bring attention to a problem that still exists in our society.

But I just didn't enjoy this book as much as the first--and it was largely because I found it hard to suspend disbelief at some of the actions that took place. Too much of the story was filled with a long chain of various physical fights & encounters--that people couldn't realistically have recovered from fast enough to keep doing more of the same. If that's your cup of tea, you'll give this story 5 stars. Despite that this is not my reading taste exactly, I did find it hard to stop listening till the end. It is compelling in that way.

What made the experience of listening to Shakespeare's Champion the most enjoyable?

Just when you thought you had it figured out...it took a turn to the unexpected.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Lilly herself is my favorite character as she is smart...never stops looking at life as a puzzle to solve, fights her demons and from the shadows solves the mystery in a tiny little town where everyone knows everyone else except the hidden heart within Lily.

Which scene was your favorite?

My favorite scene happened when Lily let her guard down and accepted a mysterious "dectective" into her life.